World

Seoul, Oct 3 (IANS) South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol's approval rating fell for the first time in four weeks after his remarks caught on a hot mic in New York caused an uproar here, a survey showed on Monday.

In the poll of 2,522 voters conducted by Realmeter from Monday to Friday last week, 31.2 per cent positively assessed Yoon's job performance, down 3.4 percentage points from the previous week, Yonhap news agency reported.

Yoon's disapproval rating was 66 per cent, up 3.8 percentage points.

The drop could be attributable to the hot mic controversy and Yoon's accusation of media manipulation after he came under fire for using vulgar words in private remarks to aides caught on a hot mic during his trip to New York last month, according to Bae Cheol-ho, a senior analyst at Realmeter.

Though the recording of Yoon's remarks was not clear due to noise, many thought that he used foul language while talking about US Congress and US President Joe Biden. Yoon's office rejected the claim, saying he was referring to South Korea's opposition-controlled National Assembly and did not mention US Congress or Biden.

The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points at a 95 per cent confidence level.

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Tehran, Oct 3 (IANS) Iran released Baqer Namazi, a dual Iranian-American citizen, on humanitarian grounds, a senior Iranian judicial official said.

Namazi, who was staying at his own home in Tehran, not in prison, for nearly four years because of his health problems, was allowed to leave Iran anytime he wants, Deputy Chief of the Iranian Judiciary Kazem Gharibabadi was quoted by official IRNA news agency as saying.

The ban on his leaving Iran was removed on Wednesday, following his repeated requests for continuing his medical treatment outside the country, added Gharibabadi, also the secretary of Iran's High Council for Human Rights, Xinhua news agency reported.

Gharibabadi expressed the hope that Iranians in US prisons would also be released as soon as possible.

Baqer Namazi, 85, was found guilty in 2016 of "collaboration with a hostile government" and sentenced to 10 years in prison. He was released on medical grounds in 2018 before his case was concluded in 2020, with his sentence commuted to time served but he was still forbidden from leaving the country, according to Tehran Times daily.

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Islamabad, Oct 3 (IANS) The death toll from this season's monsoon rain and flood since mid-June has risen to around 1,695 along with 12,865 others injured in Pakistan, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said.

According to a report released by the NDMA on Sunday, 630 children and 340 women were among those who lost their lives in separate rain or flood-related accidents in the country, Xinhua news agency reported.

The country's southern Sindh province was the worst-hit region where 759 people were killed, followed by southwest Balochistan and northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces which reported 336 and 307 deaths, respectively.

Moreover, 2,045,349 houses were destroyed and 1,162,122 livestock perished in different parts of Pakistan, the report said.

Around 33,046,329 people and 84 districts have been affected by the flood, it added.

The report further added that 13,254.49 km-long roads and 440 bridges have been damaged throughout the season.

Rescue and relief operations by the NDMA, other government organizations, volunteers and non-government organisations were underway in the flood-hit areas.

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New Delhi, Oct 3 (IANS) Condemning strongly the "hate crime" at a park named after the Bhagavad Gita in Canada, India urged authorities to take prompt action.

"We condemn the hate crime at the Shri Bhagvad Gita Park in Brampton. We urge Canadian authorities and Peel Police to investigate and take prompt action on the perpetrators," High Commission of India in Ottawa said in a tweet.

A sign with the park's name was allegedly vandalised and officials have ordered a probe, said city Mayor Patrick Brown, who confirmed the incident on Twitter. Condemning the incident, Brown said, "We have zero tolerance for this."

He also said that the matter has now been flagged to Peel Regional Police for further investigation, adding that the Parks department is working to resolve and correct the sign as soon as possible.

--IANS
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By Ashe O
Washington, Oct 3 (IANS) Former US President Donald Trump has claimed his disclaimer clause in agreements with lenders will dismiss New York (NY) Attorney General (AG) Letitia James' tax fraud case against him. James had sued Trump and his three grown up children of perpetuating a fraud over a decade by overstating the net worth of their assets and securing loans and evading taxes.


Trump's net-worth statements start with disclaimers that essentially warn lenders: "Check my math." The statements were unsealed last week as part of James' fraud lawsuit against Trump. Trump told Sean Hannity of Fox News the disclaimers absolve him of any responsibility and the AG has "no case".

Trump hunched forward in his gold-painted, spindle-backed chair under the chandeliers of Mar-a-Lago's glittering grand ballroom and told Sean Hannity why New York's Attorney General, who'd sued him earlier that day, has "no case", says the Business Insider.

"We have a disclaimer," Trump told the Fox News host. "Right on the front. And it basically says, you know, get your own people. You're at your own risk ... It may be way off."

Trump was describing the disclaimer that fills the second and third pages of his annual proclamations of net-worth - the 20-page "Statements of Financial Condition" at the center of AG Letitia James' massive lawsuit against the former president, his three oldest kids, and his real estate and golf resort empire.

James calls these statements "fraudulent", and says each one is filled with wildly exaggerated math - implausible numbers that misled banks into lending Trump and the New York-incorporated Trump Organization hundreds of millions of dollars over the past decade.

But Trump told Hannity none of that would matter because each Statement of Financial Condition begins with a warning. "Be careful," Trump told Hannity the disclaimers essentially say. "Because it may not be accurate. It may be way off ... get your own people. Use your own lawyers," Trump added. "Don't rely on us."

Former financial crimes prosecutor Armen Morian, who worked for the AGs office from 2006 to 2019 before founding Morian Law, believes Trump has a point. Sure, the annual Statements of Financial Condition may be filled with real whoppers, including all those years - from 2012 through 2016 - when they tripled the actual square footage of Trump's triplex atop Manhattan's Trump Tower, adding as much as $200 million a year to the former president's net worth.

But each year, the disclaimers put banks on notice to double check the numbers before relying on them in deciding how much to lend and at what rate of interest, Morian said. And if the banks cut Trump a good deal anyway, despite this warning - as Deutsche Bank did year after year, pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into his Miami golf club, his skyscraper in Chicago and the Old Post Office in DC - then they did so with eyes wide open, he said.

"What the disclaimers are saying is, 'Beware when you read these financial statements,'" Morian said, after a decade's worth of the statements were unsealed in court filings last week. "That's all it has to do," he said of their disclaimers, affixed to the front of each year's statement by longtime Trump accountants Mazars USA.

"And that doesn't cover just Mazars," added Morian, whose AG financial fraud cases included the 13-year prosecution of insurance magnate Maurice "Hank" Greenberg. "It covers Trump."

Morian noted that these are "robust" disclaimers - set down right in the open, not hidden in fine print. "We have not audited or reviewed the accompanying financial statement," their first paragraphs say, in boilerplate language repeated through the years.

And so, the accountants at Mazars, "do not express an opinion or provide any assurance about whether the financial statement is in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America."

Deutsche Bank in particular - the largest single lender to the Trump Organization and Donald Trump over the last ten years - is a "sophisticated counterparty," Morian said. They well knew Trump's reputation for puffery in an industry - real estate - already known for puffery.

"All of that," Morian said, "essentially renders the disclaimer an absolute defence."

A license to exaggerate? To lie? So, a business can lie about its worth? And get away with it, just by warning, as Trump put it, "It may not be accurate. It may be way off?"

"There is something unsatisfying about it," Morian conceded. "But I have a hard time taking off my hat as a lawyer. This is a legal question, and it turns on facts and the law. That's the game we're playing in, and that's the game the attorney general is playing in also, the Insider said.

"It's shocking that they brought this case," Morian said. But not everyone agrees, least of all the former president's fixer-turned-critic, Michael Cohen, who turned over Trump's Statements of Financial Condition for 2011 through 2013 as part of his testimony before Congress in 2019.

"The attorney general was not filing a 200-plus page lawsuit, after three years of investigatory work, to have her case negated by a disclaimer," Cohen told Insider. That disclaimer was written and signed by Mazars in order to protect Mazars, not Trump, Cohen noted.

These are not our numbers, Mazars essentially tells would-be lenders, and you'll get no assurances from us on their accuracy. Diana Florence, a former Manhattan prosecutor for complex financial fraud cases, agreed. "Sure, they're a hurdle," she told Insider of the disclaimers. "They do weaken the case."

But that's not the full story, she said. The AG is alleging that ten years of Trump's Statements of Financial Condition contain a total of some 200 false and misleading valuations involving 23 properties. Deutsche Bank can't be expected "to literally chase down everything in the statement and verify it," Florence said. And while James' lawsuit shines its widest, brightest spotlight on the Statements of Financial Condition, it suggests that other paperwork could put Trump at greater risk.

Through the years, Trump or his children signed multiple documents that personally attest to Mazars and to Deutsche Bank that the Statements of Financial Condition are accurate, or at least "fairly" represent Trump's worth, the lawsuit alleges.

And those "boilerplate disclaimers?" James' lawsuit is aware of them. "The disclaimers ... do not give license to Mr. Trump or the Trump Organization to submit to their accountant's fraudulent and misleading asset valuations for inclusion in the Statements," the lawsuit says.

"Trump could say, 'Yeah, if Deutsche Bank were really worried, they could have asked for more things or could have turned us down. They didn't do any due diligence,'" Florence said.

"But it doesn't change what the case is about, which is patterns of fraud." The AGs office and lawyers for Trump did not immediately respond to requests for comment. In February, Mazars quit working for Trump entirely - in the middle of preparing his and Melania Trump's tax returns - and issued the ultimate disclaimer by saying that the last 10 years of Statements of Financial Condition "should no longer be relied upon."

In declining to comment, a Mazars spokesperson said, "We remain committed to fulfilling all of our professional and legal obligations."

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United Nations, Oct 2 (IANS) UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has expressed deep concern over the situation in Burkina Faso following a coup that ousted President Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba.

The Secretary-General "strongly condemns any attempt to seize power by the force of arms and calls on all actors to refrain from violence and seek dialogue," said Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for Guterres, in a statement on Saturday.

Burkina Faso Army Captain Ibrahim Traore announced Friday evening that President Damiba was ousted, Xinhua news agency reported.

Gunshots were heard in the capital city of Ouagadougou on Friday morning. Access to the presidential palace, the public television and certain strategic points in the city were blocked by soldiers.

"The Secretary-General expresses his full support for regional efforts toward a swift return to constitutional order in the country. Burkina Faso needs peace, stability and unity to fight terrorist groups and criminal networks operating in parts of the country," the statement added.

Guterres also reaffirmed the commitment of the UN to accompany the people of Burkina Faso in their efforts toward durable peace and stability.

Friday's coup was the second this year in Burkina Faso. In the one on January 24, President Roch Kabore was overthrown, and Damiba was sworn in on February 16.

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Prague, Oct 2 (IANS) The leading government coalition party, the Civic Democratic Party (ODS), won the most seats in this year's Senate elections, according to official results published by the Czech Statistical Office.

The ODS, headed by Prime Minister Petr Fiala, won eight out of 27 seats, followed by Christian Democrats (KDU-CSL), another government coalition party, with seven, and the opposition party Action of Dissatisfied Citizens (ANO) with three.

ANO will have a total of five senators in the country's Upper House of Parliament, allowing the party to create its own parliamentary group in the Senate, Xinhua news agency reported.

The opposition party of former Prime Minister Andrej Babis saw strong gains in last weekend's local elections. ANO came ahead in 17 of 27 major Czech cities -- including eight of the 13 regional capitals.

One-third of the Czech Senate's 81 seats are filled every two years and its members are elected for a six-year term.

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Washington, Oct 2 (IANS) The US space agency has pushed back the Artemis I Moon mission launch to November in the wake of Hurricane Ian.

As teams complete post-storm recovery operations, NASA has determined it will focus Artemis I launch planning efforts on the launch period that opens on November 12 and closes on November 27.

"Teams at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida conducted initial inspections Friday to assess potential impacts from Hurricane Ian. There was no damage to Artemis flight hardware, and facilities are in good shape with only minor water intrusion identified in a few locations," the space agency said in a statement.

Next, engineers will extend access platforms around the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft inside the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) to prepare for additional inspections and start preparation for the next launch attempt, including retesting the flight termination system.

NASA said that over the coming days, managers will assess the scope of work to perform while in the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) and identify a specific date for the next launch attempt.

"Focusing efforts on the November launch period allows time for employees at Kennedy to address the needs of their families and homes after the storm and for teams to identify additional checkouts needed before returning to the pad for launch," said NASA.

Artemis I is NASA's uncrewed flight test which will provide a foundation for human exploration in deep space and demonstrate NASA's commitment and capability to extend human existence to the Moon and beyond.

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By Mukesh Sharma
Doha, Oct 2 (IANS) After months of training and playing friendly matches outside the country, FIFA World Cup 2022 hosts Team Qatar started its local camp in the country Saturday.


Felix Sanchez's men started training at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium in Doha's Al Sadd Club as preparations for the grand event pick up steam 50 days ahead of the tournament.

Qatar News Agency reported that the training is open to the public on Sunday as part of improving interaction between fans and players ahead of the World Cup that kicks off on November 20.

The Qatari squad will leave on Wednesday for the Spanish city of Marbella where it will join a new camp which will be an extension of the camps that started in June in Spain and then Austria and ended late last month.

Qatar played three friendly matches in the Austrian capital Vienna in September during which coach Sanchez tried out new combination of players including younger members of the squad before choosing the final team that will compete in the World Cup and includes 26 players, to be submitted no later than November 13.

Qatar played Canada on September 23 at Villa Park in Vienna, losing 2-0 to the North American side. The match against Chile, also at Villa Park, ended in a 2-2 draw, giving some cause for hope to the Qatari side.

Towering Stars

Meanwhile, Portuguese soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo has not been chosen to be on a poster to adorn a skyscraper in Doha ahead of the World Cup, local media reported.

One player from every team playing at the World Cup is being featured on a 75-foot billboard pasted over Doha's towers in the West Bay area-the glitzy central business district of the Qatari capital, but Ronaldo'stowering stature in the game isn't enough to earn him a place on the glass facades of the tall structures.

According to ESPN, Ronaldo will not be the selected figure, to be replaced by either his Manchester United colleague Bruno Fernandes or Liverpool's Diogo Jota.

Portugal's choice is surprising as Ronaldo became the all-time leading international goal scorer last year by breaking Ali Daei's 109-goal record with a brace against Ireland. Ronaldo now has 117 international goals in 191 appearances.

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By Ashe O
Washington, Oct 2 (IANS) Former President Donald Trump "wants his old job back" and will announce within weeks his run for the presidency in 2024. Trump is eager to get back to the White House, and wants to announce his 2024 run in the coming weeks.


Stating this, Kellyanne Conway, his 2016 campaign manager and close ally, said she had advised him to wait until after the midterms in November, according to Business Insider. .

Speaking on Friday with CBS News, Conway was asked whether Trump would announce his candidacy after the midterm elections and before Thanksgiving.

"Well, he would like to," said Conway, as per CBS News. "He's as active as anybody in these midterm elections. That's important to the calculus also, Catherine, because we have the most ironic, if not unprecedented situation right now," Conway continued.

"We have a president, a current president, whose party doesn't really want him to campaign with them." Trump will assess the timing of his announcement after the midterms, which take place on November 8, Conway said. "I will tell you why he wants to run for president," she said. "Donald Trump wants his old job back."

In July, Conway described Trump as "champing at the bit" to announce his third presidential bid. Speaking to CBS News, she said she advised him to wait until right after the midterms.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy also said he lobbied the former president not to announce a 2024 presidential run before the midterms. "My point to him has always (been), 'Let's go win '22,'" McCarthy told reporters at the Capitol in July.

That same month, a top Republican strategist told Insider that a pre-midterm announcement from Trump would be a "train wreck for the party" and "a complete mess."

Meanwhile, how Democrats, who aren't named Joe Biden, are running for president - without running for president. Joe Biden plans to seek reelection in 2024, even though voters are souring on him.

Democrats aren't expected to primary Biden, but questions linger about a backup plan. Would-be candidates have been seeking the national spotlight. President Joe Biden has been clear that he plans to run for a second term in 2024. His political team is even getting ready for a spring reelection announcement, according to the Washington Post.

But that hasn't stopped the "will he really?" chatter, particularly after a New York Times poll found that 61 per cent of Democrats said they hoped someone other than Biden would be their nominee in 2024, largely because of his age and job performance.

Democratic insiders are questioning whether Biden, 79, can mount a vigorous campaign in 2024 - especially if former President Donald Trump decides to run again.

Despite the doubts, Biden is not expected to face a primary challenge given that it would alienate other people in the party as well as the donor class, said Mark Jones, Rice University (Houston, Texas) political science professor and Baker Institute fellow, the Insider said.

"The norm is that you do not challenge a sitting president from your party," Jones said. "That's a major political faux pas. It either isn't done, or if it is done it's done more for political ambition - not to actually win, but to put the spotlight on yourself for other reasons."

A key factor helping Biden's staying in power is Trump. The New York Times poll found that Biden would be favoured to win in another contest against Trump. "The belief is that if Biden beat Trump before, he can beat him again," Jones said. If a Democrat were to try to primary Biden - and weaken him in the process - then that person would be blamed if a Republican, even Trump, were to win in 2024.

But none of these factors rule out politicians' making under-the-radar moves. If Biden somehow reverses his plans, that'll mean the party will need to find a backup.

Some ways that candidates begin to test the field through "invisible primaries" are by campaigning for other Democrats to build loyalty, particularly in swing districts. They also may appear at events in potential early voting states and offer noncommittal responses about whether they'll support Biden in 2024, said Shawn Donahue, a University at Buffalo (New York) assistant professor of political science.

Other ways are through grabbing headlines through weighing in on national debates, holding leadership roles in the party, and raising huge sums particularly from out-of-staters. In the case of governors interested in the White House, they'll need to crush the opposition if they're up for reelection this year, in November, the Insider said.

"There will be a host of people who want to be waiting in the wings so the moment Biden says he's not running they can sort of jump in," Jones said. Even if Biden doesn't change his mind, 2028 isn't much further off. There are 15 politicians who are taking actions or gaining interest that might position them for a 2024 White House run if Biden changes his mind. And this includes the three top contenders, VP Kamala Harris, Florida Governor Gavin Newsom and senator Elizabeth.

--IANS
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